Trolley wheel



R. C. KISSINGER.

TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPucmou man ocnzs. 1921.

3 l E INE/miran. l

ATTORNEY.

Patnted June 6, v1922. I

ROBERT c. xrssincrnn, or DAYTON, omo.v

TROLLEY WHEEL.

' To all tf1/wm #may concern.'

Be it known that l, Ronnn'r U. KissiNenR,

acitizen of tlie United States, residing atv Dayton, in the county of Montgomery-and State oit Ohio, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements in Trolley W'heels, of which the Afollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to electric railways and more particularly to trolleys for electric traction cars. l

The inventiony contemplates the 'employment of an insulating sleeve within thetrolley wheel and about the bearing bushing to prevent the passing of current from the wheel through the bearing shaft to the trol-v ley harp, and the use of an improved form4 of yielding or spring contact brush at each side of the trolley wheel for cond uctingthe current thence tothe trolley harp, with i roved lubricating means for the contact rushes, and in addition thereto an improved form of mounting or connection of the harp with the trolley poleto obviate external projections, which might engage upon or damagethe trolley structions. y y

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure as well as the means andinode of operation of trolley wheel inountings, whereby they will not only be cheapened in A construction, but will be more efficient in use,vpositive in operation, uniform in action,

of increased durability and unlikely to get outof rep-air.` l

A further object of the linvention is to provide an improved formot electrical inter` connection between therevolving wheel and the trolley harp or support, through which the current is conducted and `for insulating the trolley wheel bearing, thereby obviating the arcing of current. between the wheel and.

4 pear' in the specification, the'invention conJ wire, guy wires, or other ob- Specification of Letters Patent. l Patgnted June 6; 192,2. 'Application filed October 26, 1921.y Seriali .Noi 510,58tt-` i' Y sists in the features ot construction, the parts l and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation or their eqi'iivalents as hereinafter described and sethforth in .the claims, i j Referring to the accompanying drawings,

wherein is shown the preferred',l butobviv o usly not the only embodi'mentvofthe inven tion, Fig. l is aype'rspective view of theassembled 'trolley forming the subject matterl yhereof. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the lwheel and its mounting. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the wheel removed from the harpv i l or'mounting. Fig. lis a perspective view of one of the wheel contact brushes removed from'the trolley, Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the mode of interengagingthe parts of the trolley wheel brush. Fig. 6 is a further detail of one of the brush con` nections. n Like parts areindicated by similar characteis oit' reference throughout the several views.v

The vpresent invention is a. further development andv amplification of the `trolley lconstruction shown and yclaimed in my, IPat-V ent No. 1247968 issuedNov. 27, 1917. As

disclosed in said prior patent, the present construction' involves a trolley harp 1, .the armsI of *which are `biiiurcated.'or slotted :'a't 2, to receive the flattened ends3 ot the trunnion shaft Il rupon which vis mountedthe t trolley wheel 5. Theoiiterifaces oftheharp arms are provided with sockets or recesses 6, interconnected by they slots 2 andwithin which the screw threaded flattened ,extremis ties of the trunnion shaft l are engagedv j by screw threaded vcollars or nuts 7. v

In lieu ofthe continuousilat spring employed as the contact brush inthe former construction, there is hereindisclosed la conv tact brush comprising two spaced continuous annular ycollars 7 and 8,:bearing respectively upon-the arm ofrthefharpand the rlateral Aface of' the lwheel. :The collar or ring 7 is provided with anout-turned tongue or lug 9,'which engages within the slot 2 of the harp arm, to-prevent relative rotation,

The rings or collars 7 andl 8 .are intercon-l nected one, with the other. by an intermediate split collar or'spiral 10,01 resilient material, which exerts a K constant pressure upon the rings or collars 7 andfS, maintain# e ing uniform bearing pressure upon lthe wheel and harp respectively. While, these members mayl bevinterconnected by brazing,

v welding. soldering or'4 other such means', y j

there is shown in the drawings, particularly 1 Figs. 5 and 6 mode tif-interconnection, which While inexpensive and capable of between such members and the intermediate resilient member 10. To this end tineffor tongues 11 of (material, are struck up from the rings or collars and .8. There are preferably two of these projectionsstruck up in opposite directions, that is they are turned from the plane of the ring' or collar each toward the other, and inwardly disposed in relation with the bearing fat-es. The adjacentends of the intermediate heliF cal resilient collar 10 are 'formed vwith spaced slots 12, to receive these tines or fingers' 11, and the material adjacent to these slots 12 is depressed or projected out of the normal plane of the memberto form depres sions 13 to receive the tines ortingers 1l When the latter are clenched, Within the slot 12. The tines or lingers 11 being inserted through the openings 12. in the intermediate member as shown in F ig. 5, they are bent downwardly and away from each other v:is indicated therein, overlapping the depressed portions of the intermediate member 10, which inl turn seat within the recesses or openings 141- from which the tines or lingers 11 ivere originally formed. This intercngagement of the depressed portion 13 Within such openings 14C forms an interlocking connection auxiliary to the clenching of the tines ortingers. Such constructionoliviates the use of rivets, Wiich in time would be Wornl off, permitting the parts to separate one from the other. The construction as heretofore described and as shown in For. 5 and 6- enables the bearing collars or rings 'T and 8 to be worn almost entirely through before affecting the interlocking joint'.` i

The use of these spaced bearing'rings resiliently or yieldingly connected oneu'ith the other, insures a iride and ample contact surface ivith both the Wheel and the harp. lnasmuch as the innermost bearing ring 8 or that engaging the wheel. is sub jectedto Wear,`tlie bearing fave of the wheel is provided with a surcession of depressions or `pockets 15, overlaid by the ring 8, within which depressions or pockets is deposited lubricating material, such as graphite in .i paste or semiform or other lubricatingmae terial.' These deposits 15 of lubricantafford a constant anduniform supply to the hearing surface of the brush ring 8 upon the Wheel and materially increase the life of the parts. l

Fteretoforev some diiculty has been experienced, particularly when the brush bearings were not ample or in perfect Contact, due to the tendency of the; current to seek the path `of least resistance and so pass through the bearing shaft. There being a slightvclearance between the Wheel and the shaftnecessary to the free rotation vof the Wheel thereon, there has been foundsome tendency of the current to are, and hence burn the surface of the shaft cansino' minute `life of the Wheel. and shaft. To obviate this di'tliculty in the present instance, there is` provided a bushing or sleeve 1.7 of liber or other insulating materal lixedly rsecured Within the hub of the Wheel 5, and Within such liber insert or insulating bushing,there is rlixedly mounted a bearing sleeveor bushing 18. ln `the drawing, the bearing sleeve or bushing has been provided with, grooves 19 to receive lubricant. By the use of the insulating sleeve or bushing 1.7, the bearing of the sleeve 18 vand' the trunnion shaft l are fully insulated from'the Wheel proper, so thatno current can pass from the Wheel to the shaft, but the current must pass through the brushes before mentionedfrom the wheel to the harp. 1

le trolley should be capable of being* easily and quickly detached ,and lre'j'ilaced. upon thev trolleypole. vFurthermore, this replacement should be capable of` accomplishment with the use of feiv tools and with great rapidity as it is sometimes necessary forthe car crew to replace the trolley while on remote parts of the traction system. lt is furthermore desirable that the trolley connection involves no projections, oftfsetsor obstructions,which might catch upon or causeinjury to the trolley cable or supporting guy-s1A ltis customary tofuse a length of tubing as a trolley pole. Suchr a trolley pole is shown at 18 in the drawing. For vconvenience of manufacture, a plug` 19 is littedin 'the end of the tubular trolley polel 1S by welding..

brazing or by spinning. The projecting),- :portionof the pliiig 19 is tapered as at20, and the socket in' the cndof the trolley harp. is correspondingly tapered to receive such portion of the plug 19. I'lhe extremity of the insert '19 beyond the taperedportion 20, comprises a screw threaded vstud,projecting through an opening-inl the inner-end of .the tapered socket of the harp Where itv receives a spring` vfriction washer 21, anda/nut 22. by which Athe tapered portion .of thetrolley pole is drawn into lirm engagement `Within the socket ot the harp. The end of .the harp is provided withv a notch Within which engages a. short stud orlug 241 upon the trolley pole to position the trolley harp upon the ypole in predetermined relation .and prevent rotation. The stud 24 is sufficiently short that it will not project beyond the surface of the harp socket. The interengagement of the stud 24 Within the notch 23 enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification 'in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement-of parts without departing from theV advantages.

`While in order to comply with the statute ythe invention has been described in language principle involved or sacrificing any of its more or less specific as to structural features,Vv

it is to be understood that the invention is not limited. to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction'herein disclosed comprises the preferred lform of several modes of putting the invention intov effect, and the invention is therefore claimedv c in any of its forms or modifications'within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. The combination 'with a trolley wheelv and mounting therefor including a shaft upon which the wheel rotates, of a bearing. bushing in said wheel and a body of insulat-` y ing material electrically separating the bear- 'ing bushing from the main body of the wheel whereby electric current will be prevented from-passing from the wheel to the shaft, and conductor `brushes engaging lthe wheel for the conduct of the current independent of the shaft.

2. As an article of manufacture, a trolley wheel, a bushing of insulating material in said wheel and a bearing `bushing within said bushing of insulating` material.l

. 3. As an article of manufacture, a trolley wheel, and a bearing bushing therein, electrically isolated from the main body of the wheel.

4. In a trolley, the combination rwith a trolleywheel and a mounting therefor, of a trolley pole having a tapered extremity, a like tapered seat within the mounting, a threaded stud at the apex of the tapered extremity and a clamp nut coacting therewith to draw the parts into firm engagement,

5. In a trolley, the combination with a trolley wheel and a bifurcated harp in which the wheel is mounted, of a trolley7 pole having a taperedv extremity, and a like tapered socket formed in the shankv of the harp within which the tapered extremity of the pole extends with its apex projecting interl mediate the furcations of the harp locking member engageable with the pole extremity intermediate the harp arms.

6. The combination witha trolley wheel and a bifurcated harp therefor, of a trolley and a.

pole upon which the harpis telescopically mounted and means within the bifurcation of the harp for detachablyengaging .thepole 7. The combination with a trolley wheel and av harp therefor, having ,thereinA a tapered socket to receive the extremity of a trolley pole, la lpole having such tapered extremity with 'which vthe harp is telescopically enfr eed, a recess in the wally of the harp socket i ga anc ya projection carried by thep'olefor engagement with the recess-to insure the positioning of the wheel with its plane of rotation vertically disposed and means for-relatively drawing the harp and pole longitudinally toinsure .firm seating of the tapered extremity of the pole within the` tapered socket.

8. The combination with atrolley wheel and amounting therefor, of'a conductor brush interposed between the mounting and the wheel, comprising two continuous annular contact members and an intermediate resilient helical-conductor connecting the contact members one withthe other. Y

9. The combinationL with a trolley wheel and amounting therefor, ofv a conductor brush interposed between the mounting and the wheel comprising a bearing ring engaging the lateralv face ofthe'wheel, and a yielding spring member pressing the ring into contact withthe wheel, the'bearing sur-A face of the wheel having thereina plurality so i i .sis

of depressions to contain lubricant, said dei pressions beingoverlaid by said Contact ring. 10. The combinationvwith a trolley wheel and a `mounting therefor, of' a conductor` y n brush interposed between the mounting vand i the wheel comprising a continuous fiat bearingring engaging the lateral f ace `of.r the wheel, ahelical spring connected tofsaid ring vand conducting the 'current thence tothe mounting.

' 11. The combination with a trolley wheel I `'and a mounting therefonfof 4a conductor brush interposed between the mounting and the wheel, comprising a Contact ring engagingthe lateral face of the wheel, a spring member l engaged therewith and exerting pressure upon said bearing ring, said spring v member having spaced perforations therein andy depressions therein contiguousto "said ing` openings in the ring into which the Idepressions of the spring member engage the sions.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set -my hand this 15th dayof October A. D.

' perforations, and t'ines vstruck up from said l ring for insertion in said perforations, leav-v tines being in turn clenched in said depresl 

